He is said to have used 7,000 coils to create the stars and planets in the universe. Powers and AbilitiesĪccording to some Vodou societies, Damballa is regarded as the Sky Father, or the first creator of all life. Other namesĭamballa, also spelled Damballah, Dambala, Dambalah, among other variations. Although they have been lovers before, she may once again be considered his wife. In others, he has a different relationship with Erzulie Frederica. In some Vodou societies, Ayida-Wedo is Damballa’ wife. He is believed to be the first thing Gran Met created. Traditionally, Damballa is depicted as a great white serpent, which originated from the city of Wedo in modern-day Ouidah in the state of Benin. The Damballah Wedo deity is associated with St. Despite their names, the cosmic serpents of Damballah, Petro, and Simbi are not opposed deities. This is a legacy of the slave revolt that led to Haiti’s emergence as a free colony in 1804. On Earth, the lesser Damballah, Simbi, is a creature that is known to nourish springs and rains.ĭan Petro is also known as the stern serpent who lives up the tree. He is also represented by an interconnected air of serpents, which signifies sexual unity. They are also fed white foods include white rooster (for Damballah), white hen (for Ayida), white pigeons or doves, white rice, and raw white chicken eggs (balanced on a mound of white flour).The powerful Voodoo deity Damballah is depicted as a rainbow in the sky with his wife Ayida. More so than any other lwa, any altars set up in service to Damballah or Ayida should be kept, white, crisp and spotlessly clean.īoth Damballah and Ayida are normally served on Thursday and are normally offered milk or Champagne Cola, both Damballah and Ayida will also frequently take sips of Anisette or Champagne. Patrick and Ayida by “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception”. Damballah is most commonly represented by St. However, I have seen some people accent Ayida’s altars with small touches of black. One of my favorite songs used to entice Damballah into possession says:īoth Damballah and Ayida are served with the color white – pure white. Their mere presence had the ability to calm the crowds and relax the senses. Each time I have had the privilege of meeting these spirits in Haiti the humfor filled with peace. And Ayida Wedo, a female spirit in Haiti, manifests as a magnificent rainbow and often follows her husband in possession. As a matter of fact, because of his purity Damballah should be kept from away from the dead. Nevertheless, in Haiti Damballah is known to be a very wise and pure lwa and unlike his Dahomian counterpart isn’t associated with the dead at all. In Dahomey, Damballah specifically manifests as a serpent spirit named Dambada, “who represents the spirits of the old, old ancestors who are not known”, while Ayida Wedo is known as Aido Hwedo, a male rainbow serpent, whose name means “you were created before the earth and before the sky”. According to Herskovits (1967) in ancient Dahomey all snakes were called “Da”. While Damballah and Ayida have manifested differently in Haiti, they both come directly from ancient Dahomey (present day Bénin). Unlike some of the other lwa who are represented by snakes, Damballah Wedo and his wife, Ayida Wedo are snakes and their muted possession performance exemplifies this fact. He is seen as a large snake who, during possession, slithers on the ground and flickers his serpentine tongue.
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